Ball glove or mitt



T Filed Aug. 16, 1954 1 July 9, 1957 c; sMlTH 2,798,223

BALL GLOVE OR MITT 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. CLIVE! A. SMITH AYYIRWE:

July 9, 1957 c. A. SMITH 2,798,223 BALL GLOVE OR MITT Filed Aug. 16,1954 2 Sheets-$heet 2 mmvroa CLIVE A. SMITH AWIWH/VEY 2,798,223 BALLGLOVE R MITT Clive A. Smith, Des Moines, Iowa Application August 16,1954, Serial No. 450,170 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-19) This invention relates tobaseball mitts or gloves, and more particularly, to a generally improvedconstruction for an article of this type, which will facilitate thecatching of a ball.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a glove whichcan be used either for hard ball or softball, but which is particularlyadapted for the playing of softball.

Another object of importance is to provide a glove construction whereinthe fingers are of claw-like form, so as to cause the fingers to coactin defining a ball-receiving pocket that will measurably aid in thecatching and retention of the ball.

Another object of importance is to provide, in said claw-like fingers,rubber inserts in the ends of the fingers adapted to maintain the endsof the fingers in a predetermined, relatively stilf condition, even ifthe glove should become wet during use, the stiffened formation of thefinger ends being such as to cause the several fingers to present to theball relatively inflexible portions disposed edgewise to the path takenby the ball when the ball is moving into the glove, said relativelystiff finger portions being adapted to take the impact of the ballstriking the glove, to permit a minimum of padding to be placed withinthe fingers. Ordinarily, fingers of baseball mitts and gloves arepadded, in a manner that detracts from the efliciency thereof in thecatching of the ball, and this deficiency in conventional gloveconstruction is obviated by the present invention.

Another object of importance is to provide a baseball mitt or glovewherein the thumb and little finger will have curved ball-engagingedges, which form a natural grip upon the ball when the thumb and littlefinger are tightened about the ball.

A further object of importance is to provide a glove which can be usednot only for catching, but also for throwing of a ball, thus to permituse of the article by a one-armed person.

Yet another object is to provide a glove as stated which will include aspecially designed padding member in the palm of the glove, havingrelatively thick portions at the locations of the several fingers of theglove, and also at the heel of the glove, said relatively thick portionsalternating with thin or relatively unpadded portions, the alternatingunpadded and thickened portions being disposed about a center openingformed in the padding element at the location of the ball glove pocket.

Still another object is to provide a glove as stated which, despite itsincreased efliciency in use and its measurably increased durability ascompared to conventional gloves, will still be capable of manufacture ata cost as low as or lower than that required in the manufacture ofconventional gloves.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a glove formed in accordance withthe present invention.

{ trite States Patent Oflice 2,798,223 Patented July 9, 1957 Fig. 2 is aside elevational view of the glove as seen from the right of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, in which the glove is shown as itappears when a ball is caught therein.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through one of thefinger parts.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the blank used in forming the back portion ofthe glove.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the padding element, the glove beingillustrated in dotted lines.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the modified rubber insert inthe finger part.

The reference numeral 10 has been applied generally to a baseball mittor glove formed in accordance with the present invention. Glove 10includes a back portion 12 formed from a single piece of comparativelystiff leather of substantially rectangular form. In blank or panel form,the back portion appears as in Fig. 7, and includes a back thumb part14, and back finger parts 16, 18, 20, 22. The finger part 22 is used informing the little finger.

The several finger parts and the thumb part are folded upon themselvesalong fold lines shown in dotted outline in Fig. 7, said fold linesextending longitudinally and centrally of the respective finger parts ofthe blank. In the end of each finger part there is formed a V- shapednotch. Thus, the'finger part 20, which is typical, has a V-shaped notch24, and the provision of said notch defines at opposite sides of thelongitudinally and centrally disposed fold line triangular or pointedportions 26.

As a result, when each finger part is folded along its fold line, thepointed portions 26 are disposed in side by side relation with their topand front edges in registration. The front edges of said pointedportions have been designated at 28, and as will be noted from Fig. 4,are at acute angles to the top edges of the finger parts. Furthermore,the front edges 28 are inclined obliquely to the path taken by the ballwhen the ball is moving into the glove. The result is, when all thefinger parts have been formed, that the finger parts and thumb part ofthe glove are of pointed, claw-like shape (see Fig. 2), with front edgesdisposed obliquely to the path of movement of the ball, said front edgesslanting inwardly in the direction of the pocket or palm of the glove.Thus, when the ball strikes the glove, it will strike the stiff frontedges of the finger parts and thumb still further enlarged,

part, and will be guided thereby into the pocket of the glove as shownin Fig. 3. At the moment of impact of the ball, the player tightens thefinger parts and thumb part of the glove about the ball, causing theclawlike ends of the finger parts and thumb part to hold the ball in thepocket as shown in Fig. 3, to securely retain the ball within the glove.

A measurably improved catching action results from the particularconstruction, in that the finger parts and thumb part, instead of havingflattened portions presented to the ball, have quite stiff front edgesdisposed edgewise to the path of ball movement, with the stilf edgeportions leading into a pocket, said stiff edge portions merging at theouter ends of the finger parts and thumb part into claw-like terminalparts that are adapted to engage about the ball to hold the same withinthe glove.

When the finger parts have been folded longitudinally and centrallythereof to form the glove fingers, stitching 30 is applied thereto, saidstitching extending along the top and front edges, and terminatingintermediate the opposite ends of each finger part. In this connection,interposed between the top edge portions of the side-byside walls of thefinger parts are relatively thick rubber inserts 32, said inserts beingconnectedto the adjacent parts of the finger parts 2 by the stitching-30,as shown in Fig. 4. The inserts 32 serve to increase the stiffness ofthe outer end portions of the finger parts, and preserve said stiffnesseven though the' glove should. be-

come wet. V a

In Fig. 9 there is shown a modified form of rubber insert shown at 32This insert is substantially greater in area than the insert 32, and ismainly distinguished from the insert 32 in that the top edge portion ofthe insert 32 is projected exteriorly of the upper end'ofthefinger part.Further, the front edge portion of the insert 32" is parallel to thefront edge 28. of the finger part, and is projected forwardly beyondsaid front edge 28. This arrangement, it has been. found, aidsmaterially in the effective catching and retention of the ball.

As will be noted in Fig. 7, the opposite side edges of the thumb part 14andv the little finger part 22 of the blank are curved inwardly, and asa result, when the thumb and little finger parts are formed bylongitudinally and centrally folding the same during, the manufacture ofthe glove, the front edges of the thumb and littlev finger parts will beinwardly curved, complementarily to the curvature of the ball. Thisprovides an improved ball grip, to further aid in the proper retentionof the ball,

since the front edges of the thumb and little finger parts willcomplement the ball curvature and will be in contact for substantiallythe full parts of their lengths with the surface of the ball. I

A palm element 34 is formed of a very soft, flexible leather, asdistinguished from the stiff back portion 12. The palm element 34 isfaced to the outside of the palm, and faced inwardly of the palm is aninner palm element 36, the outer configuration of which is the same asthe outer palm element 34. In outer configuration, the palm elementsresemble somewhat the blank shown in Fig. 7,

with the exception that the thumb and finger portions of.

the palm elements are pointed, rather than increased in width in thedirection of their outer ends.

As a result, when the thumb and finger parts of the back portion 12 arefolded upon themselves in the manner hereinbefore described,substantially triangular spaces are defined at the inner end of thesame, said triangular spaces being filled by the substantiallytriangular or pointed finger portions 34' and 36 of the palm elements 34and 36, respectively. The stitching terminates at the apex of saidpointed parts of the palm elements, and the palm elements are connectedtogether and to the opposite side edges of the associated finger partsby means of stitching 42, the stitching 42 extending along and through awelt edge formed on the palm element 34 and through the adjacentenclosed edge of palm element 36 and through the adjacent pontion of thefinger part.

At the bottom of the glove, a reinforcing strip 38, of relatively stiffmaterial such as that used for the back portion 12, is foldedlongitudinally to receive the lower edge portion of palnrelements, andstitching 40 is extended through the reinforcing strip 38 and throughthe lower edge portions of the palm elements in the manner shown in Fig.6.

In the space between the palm elements a padding element 44 is enclosed.This is shaped as shown in Fig. 8, and can be a piece of lambs wool orthe like. Element 44 has an approximately elliptical center opening 46,at the pocket of the glove, so as to eliminate the padding of the gloveat this location. However, elimination of the padding does not cause theplayers hand to be stung when the ball is caught, in view of the factthat the impact of the ball is taken by the stiff front edges of theseveral finger parts and thumb part, in the manner previously described.

The padding element 44 is formed with relatively thick portions 48alternating with thin or unpadded parts 50 about opening 46. Portions 48occur at the locations of the several fingers and thumb of the player,and also at the heel of the glove.

Important characteristics of the invention reside, as previouslydiscussed herein, in the increased efficiency thereof so far as catchingthe ball is concerned. Further, the glove permits one to throw the ballwith the glove hand, since the claw-like, stiff finger parts and thumbpart provide a full control over the ball.

Further, the inwardly curved thumb and movable finger parts and thumbpart complement the curvature of the ball to aid in the throwing action,as well as in the retention of the ball in the pocket. Still further,the stiff, inclined front edges of the finger parts and thumbpart, thattake the impact of the ball, eliminate the necessity of paddingthefinger parts and thumb part, thereby lightening the glove withoutsacrifice of comfort and without loss of durability.

Still further, the glove tends to retain. its shape throughout theperiod of its use, as distinguished from some conventional gloves,wherein the padding tends to shift about or wear thin at particularlocations.

While I have illustrated and. described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, itis to be understood that I, do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1. A baseball glove comprising incombination, a palm element, a back element formed from a panelsubstantially rectangular in configuration, one edge portion of saidpanel having a plurality of notches formed therein and providing aplurality of triangular projections, a plurality of slots extendinginwardly from the apices of said triangular projections and from one ofthe corners of said panel, said slots extending into said panel belowthe bot toms of said notches so as to provide a series of back fingerparts and a thumb part, said panel having fold lines extending inwardlyfrom the bottoms of said notches, said panel having a fold lineextending inwardly from the center of the side edge portion'definingsaid thumb part, said finger parts and said thumb part being foldedalong said fold lines, the adjacent edges of the folded triangularportions and the adjacent edges of the thumb part being stitchedtogether and forming the top edges of the finger parts and the saidthumb part in the finished glove, the remaining edges of the fingerparts and the thumb part constituting the front edges of the fingerparts and the thumb part in the finished glove, said front edges andsaid top edges defining pointed parts, said front edges being at acuteangles to the top edges of the finger parts and the thumb part, and saidpalm element being connected at its side edges to the side edges of theback element.

2. A baseball glove according to claim 1, wherein said palm elementcomprises spaced inner and outersections, a padding disposed betweensaid sections and being provided with; an elliptical central opening,said stitched finger and thumb parts forming triangular shaped pocketsfor receiving a baseball, and said padding being thickened adjacent thefinger and thumb parts with the center of the palm element beingrelatively unpadded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,574,664 Long Feb. 23, 1926 1,974,616 Kirkham Sept. 25, 1934 2,109,974OHara Mar. 1, 1938 2,231,204 Turner Feb. 11, 1941 2,699,551 TompkinsJan. 18, 1955

